The present invention relates to a data a communication apparatus, data communication method, and a storage medium storing a computer program for data communication.
This application is based on Japanese Patent Application No. 10-227029, filed Aug. 11, 1998, the content of which is incorporated herein by reference.
Conventionally, infrared optical communication has been used for communication of data such as text and images between portable electronic devices such as electronic notebooks and the like, to make communication concerning intentions between a sender and a receiver. In the devices of this kind, a sender operates parts such as keys and the like to cause changes in text and images on a display device, while a receiver confirms the changes in real time and makes a response thereto in real time. Communication of intentions is thus achieved.
Recently, several service providers have started to provide movable data communication services by movable phones which enable communication of data such as still images, video image, electronic mail, and the like, in addition to voice communication, via communication channels such as ISDN (Integrated Services Digital Network), PHS (Personal Handyphone System: Simplified Cordless Phone System), and the like.
As for communication of intentions using text images by the movable data communication services, it has been considered that communication is made with transmitted data and received data completely separated from each other, e.g., each user transmits data from his or her own device to another user and also receives and displays data transmitted from the other user on the display part of the device. However, no proposal has been made for a data communication service in which data to be transmitted and data to be received are linked integrally with each other to provide users with a new style of communication of intentions. There was proposed an electronic mail service in which an electronic pet is added to an electronic mail and sent with the electronic mail. At the receiver, the pet carrying the mail is displayed on the terminal. However, an activity or a motion of the pet is controlled in a predetermined manner. After sending the mail, the sender cannot control the activity or the motion of the pet.
The data communication service described above is based on a prerequisite that transmission and reception of data are carried out in real time between users. However, it may be considered that communication is not made between portable electronic devices such as electronic notebooks within an area in which the devices can be viewed from each other, like infrared optical communication, but data is transmitted and received between users of movable phones which cannot be viewed from each other, like data communication between movable phones. Or, it may be considered that users are in a situation that they must take heavy burdens to make communication. In these cases, users as communication targets are forced to make difficult communication if real-time communication is a prerequisite.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a data communication apparatus in which very close communication of intentions can be made by simple operation between users of data communication and any communication of intentions between uses can be made even if a receiver cannot make an instantaneous response.
A related object of the present invention is to provide a data communication method in which very close communication of intentions can be made by simple operation between users of data communication and any communication of intentions between uses can be made even if a receiver cannot make an instantaneous response.
A further object of the present invention is to provide a storage medium for storing a computer program for a data communication by which very close communication of intentions can be made by simple operation between users of data communication and any communication of intentions between uses can be made even if a receiver cannot make an instantaneous response.
According to the present invention, there is provided a data communication apparatus comprising a receiver for receiving a first character representing a communication target, an action storage for storing data representing various actions of a second character representing a user, a specifying device for specifying an action of the second character by using an operation member, a transmitter for reading the data of the second character corresponding to the action specified by the specifying device from the action storage and for transmitting the data read from the action storage to the communication target, and a synthesizer for synthesizing the data received by the receiver and the data read from the action storage and for displaying a synthesized image having the first and second characters.
According to the present invention, there is provided another data communication apparatus comprising a receiver for receiving a first character representing a communication target and action information representing an action of the first character, an image storage for storing data representing various actions of a second character representing a user, a response action storage for storing action information of the second character responding to the action information of the first character, and a transmitter for reading the action information of the second character responding to the action information of the first character received by the receiver from the response action storage, for reading the image data corresponding to the action information of the second character from the image storage, and for transmitting the action information read from the response action storage and the image data read from the image storage to the communication target.
According to the present invention, there is provided a data communication method wherein a character corresponding to a user is displayed, when an action of the character is instructed, transmitting image data corresponding to the action.
According to the present invention, there is provided another data communication method comprising the following steps of displaying a character corresponding to a user and taking a predetermined action, transmitting character image data and action identification data corresponding to the predetermined action, and when an action of the character is instructed, transmitting action identification data corresponding to the action.
According to the present invention, there is provided a computer program product comprising a computer readable first program code for receiving image data of a character of a target user, a computer readable second program code, when an action of a character of a user is instructed by operating an operation member, for reading image data corresponding to the instruction from an image data storage, a computer readable third program code for transmitting the read image data of the character of the user to the target user, and a computer readable fourth program code for synthesizing and displaying received image data of the target user and the image data of the character of the user.
According to the present invention, there is provided another computer program product comprising a computer readable first program code for receiving image data and action information of a character of a target user, a computer readable second program code for reading image data of a character of a user corresponding to the action information from image data storage region, a computer readable third program code for transmitting the read image data of the character of the user to target user, and a computer readable fourth program code for synthesizing the received image data and the read image data.
According to the present invention, there is provided a still further data communication method comprising the following steps of determining whether or not a receiver responds to a call from a caller, setting a communication channel between the caller and the receiver if it is detected that the receiver has responded, communicating two characters respectively representing the caller and the receiver between the caller and the receiver, synthesizing two characters and displaying synthesized characters, and making a self character take an action specified by using an operating member and transmitting the self character taking the specified action to other party, thereby communicating of intentions of the caller and the receiver by using the characters taking the specified action.
According to the present invention, there is provided a still further data communication method comprising the following steps of determining whether or not a receiver responds to a call from a caller, setting a communication channel if it is detected that the receiver has not responded, transmitting a first character representing the caller from the caller to the receiver, transmitting a second character corresponding to the caller from the receiver to the caller, making the first character take an action specified by the caller and transmitting the first character taking the action from the caller to the receiver, and making the second character take an action corresponding to the action of the first character and transmitting the second character taking the action from the receiver to the caller.
According to the present invention, very close communication of intentions can be made by simple operation between users of data communication and any communication of intentions between uses can be made even if a receiver cannot make an instantaneous response.
Additional objects and advantages of the present invention will be set forth in the description which follows, and in part will be obvious from the description, or may be learned by practice of the present invention.
The objects and advantages of the present invention may be realized and obtained by means of the instrumentalities and combinations particularly pointed out hereinafter.